Bernie Montás
•9/10/2026
Florida has crossed the $2 billion mark in hurricane recovery projects, but Fort Myers Beach residents and officials are still waiting for promised funds. Pam Kleintob, a Lee County homeowner, shared her feelings about returning to Fort Myers Beach after the hurricane. "It was very upsetting. It was very upsetting. Nobody expected it. It wasn't supposed to hit here," Kleintob said. Hurricane Ian became the costliest hurricane in Florida's history, and on Thursday, U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody visited Fort Myers Beach to provide an update on hurricane recovery funding. "It represents over 500 projects across our state repairing critical infrastructure and schools, removing debris, covering emergency costs, and helping communities rebuild," Moody said. Despite the milestone, town officials in Fort Myers Beach said they are still waiting for the funds they were promised. "We're actively working through on a daily basis. Our finance team is getting the invoices in, getting them sent through FEMA for reimbursement," Town Manager Will McKannay said. McKannay expressed frustration over the delays. "Certainly, there's frustration on our side. It does put us in a bit of a bind at times here with a municipality like ours, which is on the smaller end, but yet has so many projects ongoing and went through three storms back to back to back," McKannay said. Moody highlighted her work on the TRACK Act, a bill she authored that is now law, establishing a database for taxpayers to track disaster recovery funds. "You'll be able to see a lot more transparency and a lot more movement more efficiently because communities will be able to hold folks accountable," Moody said. Kleintob expressed optimism about the new system. "That's great. Finally, we get some recognition — we'll get some money and get things squared up again. We love it," Kleintob said. While Moody did not provide a timeline for reimbursement, she emphasized her commitment to expediting the process. DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.
